Vault latch



.' AP 9, 1929. M. L. CANOTT ET AL VAULT LATCH Filed Dec. 21, 1925 I k INVENTOR @7100 of: WW I Patented Apr, 9, 19290 i "re sr MOODY L. canorr, or WELLMAN, AND JOSEPI-LE. HALL, or EAGLE enovn, Iowa.

VAULT Application filed December This invention relates tovault latches and especially a lock whereby a vault door may be latched from the inside in a partially opened position. Y Z

In many instances where a daylight holdup or robbery takes place in a bank the employees are driven into the vault and are loclted'up by the robbers. Vaults of this character are practically air-tight and there is accordingly considerable danger of suffocation unless the vault door is opened almost immediately after the robbery. v

The object of the presentinvention is to provide an inside look whereby 'the'door is automatically latched during a robbery in a partially opened position thereby lnsuring a sutlicientsupply of air if employees are locked within the vault, to provide a lock of this character which may be readily opened from the inside whenever the employees deem it safe to escape and to provide a lock of thls character which may be installed in practically any vault and which cannot be opened from the outside by the robbers once the door has been closed.

One form of the invention is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanaying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a detailed view of the latch show ing it in retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the vault door closed and the latch in rcleasedposition where itis ready to be projected when the door is opened.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the latch being projected while the door is being-opened.

Fig. 4 shows the door locked in apartially opened position by means of the latch.

Fig. 5 is a plan section of the door and a part of the vault showing the keeper engaged by the latch.

Fig. .6 is a transverse vertical section on line 6-6 Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings in detail, particularly 5, A indicates the front panel of I vault and 2 the door whereby entrance is gained to the vault. I Suitably secured on the taken inner face of the panel A as by bolts 3, is an" angle bracket 4, secured on the face of the angle bracket is a spacing plate 5 and slidably mounted thereon is a plate 6 on the outer end of which is formed a latch bolt 7 The plate is lon itudinally slottedas alt 8 and the slot-is LATCH.

21,1925. Serial No. 76 ,656.

extended atone end vertically as M9 for purposes hereinafter to be describech Extending through the slotted plate is a bolt 10 and i this bolt is provided with a head 11 to secure the latch plate against removal. Secured on the lower edge of thelatch plate is a lug 12 and adapted to engage the same is a pawl 13. The pawl is pivotally mounted on the pin 14 and this pin also serves as a support or attaching means for one-end of the helical spring 15 the opposite end of which is secured to a pin 16 carriedb-y the latching plate 6 The function of the spring is that of pulling the latch and plate into aforward position such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, while the function of the pawl 13is that of securing the latch and plate in a retractedxposition such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The keeper indicated at 18 is nothing more orless than a rectangular shaped bar which is secured to theinner side of the door 2 by screws 19. This 'keeper is engaged by the latch as shown in Fig. t when the latch assu-mesits forward position and it looks the door in a partially opened position as will hereinafter be described. g V

The door ma assume two closed positions, a partially opened position shown in F igs and 5 or a completely closed position as shown in Fig. 2. The partially opened position is locked by the latch and the keeper from the inside only and in the fully closed position it is locked by means of the vault look not here illustrated. I

If it is desired to close the vault door and to lock it at night it is necessary to retract the latch bolt 7 as it would otherwise engage the keeper and prevent complete closing and lug and the latch is thus held in retracted position thereby permitting the vault door to be completely closed and. locked. In the morning when opening-the door it is essen-- tial that the latch should again be projected as it 'would otherwise be useless. The manually projectingmechanism would be of comparatively little value as the employee opening the vault door Would be liable to forget and means are accordlngly provided for automatically projecting the latch when the door is opened in the morning. To explain how this is accomplished it is perhaps best to state that the latch plate is covered and also partially guided by a housing or cover member consisting of a front plate and a pair of end sections 21 and 22, this cover being held in position by means ofa pair of screws or the like indicated at 23. Mounted on the door above the keeper is an angleshaped plate 24. This plate engages the front end 21 of the lock cover when the door is closed and it pushes the lock cover together with the latch backwardly a sufficient distance to release the pawl13 with relation to the lug 12. Thepawl when released drops to the dotted line position shown at 13 and as such is out of the way to permit automatic projection of the latch when the door is opened In other words closing of the door at night pushes the latch plate back a sufficient distance to disengage it with relation to the pawl 13 and it is thus free to be pro- .jected by the spring 15 whenthe door is opened. As the door opens the. latch plate is pulled forward by the spring until the vertical portion 9 of the slot is reached. The

spring is disposed on an angle as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 and it thus pulls the rear end of the latch plate downwardly as shown 1n Fig. 3. The forward end of the latch plate or the cover plate carried thereby is during this movement held up by theangle plate 2 1,

' but as the door continues to move open it is disengaged and the latch drops by gravity so as to-assume the position shown 1n Fig. 4 and is thus 1n position to engage and lock the keeper if the door is closed' by an unauthor-,

ized person during the day time.

From'the foregoing it can be seen that .a

i look has been provided which'will automatically lock a vault door in a partially opened position if closed by an unauthorized person, also that a lock hasbeen provided which may be-manually retracted so as to render it inoperative'when it is desired to close the vault door and lock it, and further that means are provided for automatically projecting 'andrendering the latch operative when the I vaultdoor is open.

While certain features of the present invention have been more or less specifically i llustrated we wish it understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of'the appended claims, similarly, that the mate rials and finish of the'several parts employed may be such as the experience, and

judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or var in conditions ma I demand.

Having thus'described our invention what We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described the latch bolt.

comprising a support, alatch bolt slidably mounted thereon and adapted to assume a forward position and a retracted position, a door having a keeper mounted thereon adapted to be engagedby the latch bolt when in a forward position and the latch bolt adapted to lock the door and the keeper in a partially opened position, a guide for the latch bolt, a spring attached to the'latch bolt and normally holding it in a forward position said latch bolt adapted to be manually retracted againstthe tension of the spring, a pawl engageable with the latch bolt to lock it in its retracted position and means actuated by the doorfor releasing the pawl and to permitthe spring to automatically project position, said latch bolt adapted to lock the door and the keeper-in a'partially open position, manually operated means for retaining the latch bolt in one of its retracted positions,

means on the door adapted to retain the latch bolt in the second retracted position, said means being only operable when the door is completely closed, a spring connected with the plate andthe latch bolt-and adaptedto project the same to its forward projected posi tion, said spring cooperating with the means on the door to automatically project the latchboltand the plate to its foremost position when the door is opened from a com pletely closed position. V

3. The combination with a vault having a doorof a keeper secured on the inside of the door, a plate reciprocally mounted and supported within the vault, said plate having a latch bolt on its forward end engageable with the keeper on the door, a'housing carried by J the latch plate and movable in unison therewith, a member on the door engageab'le with the housing and adapted to maintain; the latch bolt in a partially"retracted position when the door is completely closed, said latch plate having an l..-shaped slot formed therein, a pm supporting the plate and projecting through theL-shaped slot, a sprnigattached to the plate and adapted to normally project the plate, the latch. bolt andthe housingto a forward position where the latch bolt will engage the keeper on the door, a lug on the plate I and a manually operated pawl cooperating there'with'to secure theplate,the housing and V the latch bolt in a retracted position.

4. In a structure of the class described, the

combination of a door element and a frame element With a keeper mounted on one of said pivotal movement, said last-named means elements and projecting therefrom, and a and said lateh bolt having parts adapted to latch bolt mounted on the other of said elecooperate When the latch bolt is in its pro- 10 ments for sliding and pivotal movement, ti'aeted position to prevent its return to remeans tending to move the latch bolt to protracted position.

jectecl or forward position, means for sup- MOODY L. CANOTT. porting said latch bolt for such sliding and JOSEPH E. HALL. 

